Thursday, September 25, 2014
It's all changing...
Time for a change....
After a lot of bureaucratic 'buck passing', ball dropping and impossible, ever changing demands, I have moved away from The Foreigner project. I NEVER quit a commitment... always fight for a new solution, but the situation was made creatively impossible, I couldn't bring myself to compromise my cast's and my own ethics.
Had a bittersweet, impromptu dinner with some of the cast and crew last night... so reminiscent of an end of run get together. Amazing how these great people were already bonding! Definitely one of the best cast ensembles I have ever compiled. So much potential, clearly apparent in the few rehearsals we had already put behind us. Their dynamic was apparent from the start. It's such a shame that this particular ensemble will not have the opportunity to fully develop. I am sure more will be forthcoming in future posts, but for now it is time to move on to the next project!
It is all for the best. Here comes Romeo and Juliet!
After a lot of bureaucratic 'buck passing', ball dropping and impossible, ever changing demands, I have moved away from The Foreigner project. I NEVER quit a commitment... always fight for a new solution, but the situation was made creatively impossible, I couldn't bring myself to compromise my cast's and my own ethics.
Had a bittersweet, impromptu dinner with some of the cast and crew last night... so reminiscent of an end of run get together. Amazing how these great people were already bonding! Definitely one of the best cast ensembles I have ever compiled. So much potential, clearly apparent in the few rehearsals we had already put behind us. Their dynamic was apparent from the start. It's such a shame that this particular ensemble will not have the opportunity to fully develop. I am sure more will be forthcoming in future posts, but for now it is time to move on to the next project!
It is all for the best. Here comes Romeo and Juliet!
Friday, September 12, 2014
With auditions for THE FOREIGNER now behind us, we (im)patiently await for all the offers to be accepted, so that the full company member list can become public. There is much to do over the next 7 weeks. A great many challenges and a lot of long hours of work are ready for us to get underway. The unseen obstacles are still throwing road blocks in front of us, but we are ready to overcome them.
Watch this space over the next few days for the complete list of the full Cast and Creative Team.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Auditions...
Yes, here we are again, with auditions just a day away!
Anyone wishing more information, please follow the link here... This kind of script is unlike any I have directed before and I am looking forward to all the discoveries the cast and I will make over the next few weeks.
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Larry Shue has always been one of those playwrights, whose work I never saw myself directing. It was 'guy-centric', set in the 80's (Oh dear God no), and so very physically comic. The closest I have ever done to this type of script are a few selections from the canon of Neil Simon.
I mean, I'm a deep classics kind of girl. Companies come to me to direct Wilde, or Williams, or Chekov, or Beckett. They count on the fact that I am likely to take each of these pieces out of that pretty little bowed box that they are usually delivered to an audience in, adding something unique, new or thought provoking.
Not that I don't do comedy. Just not this type of comedy. Foreigner is normally done with a unit set, often in proscenium. Of course, I will be doing it in full 3/4 thrust -- hopefully... Hopefully? Time is our guide on that particular query.
The usual pre-audition concerns and challenges are in abundance -- late start with certain administrative issues, power struggles, contractual issues, will we have enough guys to cast, will enough students audition... Same old, same old. Some have since been cleared, but others still hang in the balance. But we soldier on, prepping for the inevitable and expected concerns involved with producing any show. Collegiate theatre is 'a whole other animal'. One that is not up to me to tame. In all honesty, this has been one of the most stressful prelim preps I have ever experienced. I barely 'survived' it. The last several weeks have had me reconsidering things, making the 'hard' decisions, moving on... in theory, anyway.
All the same, we are ready to go! Open Auditions await us tomorrow -- Two women, five men, three ensemble and a brilliantly funny script will all bring this delightful romp to the stage in November.
Stay Tuned!
Anyone wishing more information, please follow the link here... This kind of script is unlike any I have directed before and I am looking forward to all the discoveries the cast and I will make over the next few weeks.
Larry Shue has always been one of those playwrights, whose work I never saw myself directing. It was 'guy-centric', set in the 80's (Oh dear God no), and so very physically comic. The closest I have ever done to this type of script are a few selections from the canon of Neil Simon.
I mean, I'm a deep classics kind of girl. Companies come to me to direct Wilde, or Williams, or Chekov, or Beckett. They count on the fact that I am likely to take each of these pieces out of that pretty little bowed box that they are usually delivered to an audience in, adding something unique, new or thought provoking.
Not that I don't do comedy. Just not this type of comedy. Foreigner is normally done with a unit set, often in proscenium. Of course, I will be doing it in full 3/4 thrust -- hopefully... Hopefully? Time is our guide on that particular query.
The usual pre-audition concerns and challenges are in abundance -- late start with certain administrative issues, power struggles, contractual issues, will we have enough guys to cast, will enough students audition... Same old, same old. Some have since been cleared, but others still hang in the balance. But we soldier on, prepping for the inevitable and expected concerns involved with producing any show. Collegiate theatre is 'a whole other animal'. One that is not up to me to tame. In all honesty, this has been one of the most stressful prelim preps I have ever experienced. I barely 'survived' it. The last several weeks have had me reconsidering things, making the 'hard' decisions, moving on... in theory, anyway.
All the same, we are ready to go! Open Auditions await us tomorrow -- Two women, five men, three ensemble and a brilliantly funny script will all bring this delightful romp to the stage in November.
Stay Tuned!
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
So, let's catch up...
As many of you may have noticed, this blog seems to have grown...
Yes, I have joined the blog merging generation and consolidated all of my recent Director's blogs to create one, more manageable version. Yes, all the cute maps, show specific layouts and other virtual trinkets that gave each blog a life of it's own are gone. Well, life does change and go on. As will this blog. Those seeking the posts and photos attached to the following recent blogs, will find the following right here:
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE -- X*ACT, September, 2011
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING -- X*ACT, June 2012
THE WOMEN of LOCKERBIE -- Clark State, April, 2013
TWELFTH NIGHT -- StageWORKS, April, 2014
THE IMPORTANCE of BEING EARNEST -- Brookville, June/July, 2014
Many have asked why a few of these were not completed or 'tied up.'. Well, here is the short answer ... To be honest, 2013 was one hell of a year for me. Filled with loss and stress and a lot of change. After that year, complete exhaustion set in and has yet to break. And, frankly, the posting of a director's blog became a very unimportant aspect of my process. For one thing, I was busy creating the art I was to be blogging about. Rehearsals were long; commutes to rehearsals were long; and, when I actually had time to sit down to blog, nothing would emerge onto the page.
Let's just say that the last 3 shows were wrought with extreme challenges. One such challenge involved working in extremely cold temperatures in the theatre for TWELFTH NIGHT -- actors were working in between 20 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit for over two thirds of their rehearsals. You can only imagine the kind of toll this took on them (and us) physically, vocally, and even emotionally. There were other issues and challenges with other shows, one which occurred after the fact, in which an entire cast of an incredibly well received show, went unacknowledged by the producer for more than a year... no photos, no facebook recognition on the company page, ...actually, almost no mention at all. But that is for another post.
What I can promise, is that I will continue to post about the shows I am prepping, the process, journey we are taking and the creative, on stage result. Sometimes, I will share ideas for my actors, sometimes, I will share insights on the show. I will also strive to finalize those shows that are missing some sort of finish -- photos, reflections and closure -- to bring them full circle. For myself, as well as those who regularly ask me to.
Things are changing for me. Some things are good, others are -- well, let's just call them challenges, for the moment. As I enter what I anticipate being my last season directing, I am excited to begin this chapter of my creative journey.
Next up --- THE FOREIGNER for Clark State. Auditions are only 13 days away! Expect to hear more in coming days.
Yes, I have joined the blog merging generation and consolidated all of my recent Director's blogs to create one, more manageable version. Yes, all the cute maps, show specific layouts and other virtual trinkets that gave each blog a life of it's own are gone. Well, life does change and go on. As will this blog. Those seeking the posts and photos attached to the following recent blogs, will find the following right here:
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE -- X*ACT, September, 2011
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT's DREAM -- StageWORKS, April, 2012
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING -- X*ACT, June 2012
THE WOMEN of LOCKERBIE -- Clark State, April, 2013
TWELFTH NIGHT -- StageWORKS, April, 2014
THE IMPORTANCE of BEING EARNEST -- Brookville, June/July, 2014
Many have asked why a few of these were not completed or 'tied up.'. Well, here is the short answer ... To be honest, 2013 was one hell of a year for me. Filled with loss and stress and a lot of change. After that year, complete exhaustion set in and has yet to break. And, frankly, the posting of a director's blog became a very unimportant aspect of my process. For one thing, I was busy creating the art I was to be blogging about. Rehearsals were long; commutes to rehearsals were long; and, when I actually had time to sit down to blog, nothing would emerge onto the page.
Let's just say that the last 3 shows were wrought with extreme challenges. One such challenge involved working in extremely cold temperatures in the theatre for TWELFTH NIGHT -- actors were working in between 20 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit for over two thirds of their rehearsals. You can only imagine the kind of toll this took on them (and us) physically, vocally, and even emotionally. There were other issues and challenges with other shows, one which occurred after the fact, in which an entire cast of an incredibly well received show, went unacknowledged by the producer for more than a year... no photos, no facebook recognition on the company page, ...actually, almost no mention at all. But that is for another post.
What I can promise, is that I will continue to post about the shows I am prepping, the process, journey we are taking and the creative, on stage result. Sometimes, I will share ideas for my actors, sometimes, I will share insights on the show. I will also strive to finalize those shows that are missing some sort of finish -- photos, reflections and closure -- to bring them full circle. For myself, as well as those who regularly ask me to.
Things are changing for me. Some things are good, others are -- well, let's just call them challenges, for the moment. As I enter what I anticipate being my last season directing, I am excited to begin this chapter of my creative journey.
Next up --- THE FOREIGNER for Clark State. Auditions are only 13 days away! Expect to hear more in coming days.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Bunburying...
Casting is complete!
Always my favorite part of the directing job--- the uncertainty, the excitement, the possibilities. As a director, you never really know who will show up for an open audition. Will you have enough to cast? Will you have the talent to have a balanced cast? Will anyone show up? Or, do you call on all your theatrical contacts and ask them to remain prepared to take a role?
Luckily, I have always had more than enough talent to cast a show and find a proportioned cast to create an even performance. Once again, this was true. Though I warned my 'stock' actors that they may receive a call, I did not have to appeal for their talents. The audition gave me a variety of actors who embraced certain characters immediately, clearly showing me the conceptual opportunities I was looking for. This made the decision very easy. I am thrilled and excited to have such a talented and versatile cast on board for this show! Everyone has accepted their roles and I am anxious to get underway. Our cast is from all over the southwest Ohio area: Brookville, Downtown Dayton, Kettering, Springfield, Milford Center, Englewood, and Clayton.
So now begins the paperwork creation, dramaturgy preparations, script work and dialect development. This show is always fun to develop and play, so we are all anxious to get started.
Always my favorite part of the directing job--- the uncertainty, the excitement, the possibilities. As a director, you never really know who will show up for an open audition. Will you have enough to cast? Will you have the talent to have a balanced cast? Will anyone show up? Or, do you call on all your theatrical contacts and ask them to remain prepared to take a role?
Luckily, I have always had more than enough talent to cast a show and find a proportioned cast to create an even performance. Once again, this was true. Though I warned my 'stock' actors that they may receive a call, I did not have to appeal for their talents. The audition gave me a variety of actors who embraced certain characters immediately, clearly showing me the conceptual opportunities I was looking for. This made the decision very easy. I am thrilled and excited to have such a talented and versatile cast on board for this show! Everyone has accepted their roles and I am anxious to get underway. Our cast is from all over the southwest Ohio area: Brookville, Downtown Dayton, Kettering, Springfield, Milford Center, Englewood, and Clayton.
So now begins the paperwork creation, dramaturgy preparations, script work and dialect development. This show is always fun to develop and play, so we are all anxious to get started.
Rehearsals begin next week. So without further ado... welcome to the cast
CAST -- The Importance of Being Earnest
Jack Worthing, JP - Andrew Briner
Algernon Moncrief - Hunter Laycox
Rev. Canon Chasuble, DD - Kevin O'Boyle
Lane/ Merriman 2/ Male US - Casey Dillon
Merriman 1/ Female US - Rebecca Henry
Lady Bracknell - Patti King
Hon. Gwendolyn Fairfax - Rachel Smith
Cecily Cardew - Katrina Pontius
Miss Prism - Susan Robert
Director - Lisa Howard-Welch
Assistant Director - Juliet Howard-Welch
Stage Manager - Austin Smith
Lighting Designer - Casey Dillon
Lighting Designer - Casey Dillon
I will be posting regularly, with photos, rehearsal journey tidbits and lots of other fun discoveries along the way.
Until the next time...
Until the next time...
Friday, April 25, 2014
Cake... or Bread and Butter...
“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.”
And, so begins another creative journey. This time to 1890's London and Hertfordshire, as we undertake one of my favorite plays, Oscar Wilde's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Having directed this previously, I will strive to create a fresher, newer view on the play. We will remain fairly traditional in sensibilities, setting and themes, while applying a few more modern ideals and twists.
This delightful little excursion will culminate with production June 26th through July 6th, 2014 at Brookville Community Theatre.
During the rehearsal process, we will travel through many of the styles and themes in the text; delve into the lifestyle of the period; and (hopefully) turn this into a delectable treat to be savoured.
Want to be a part of this journey? Want more information? Visit the the facebook event page or e-mail the director, Lisa Howard-Welch to ask questions, or request an audition packet.
AUDITIONS: May 7th and 8th at Brookville Community Theatre. 7pm.
- Auditions will include reading from the script and improvisation.
- Those auditioning are asked to bring a resume (or experience list), photo (if possible), and a list of all potential rehearsal conflicts from May 7th to July 6th, 2014.
- British dialects WILL be used in this show and training WILL be provided.
REHEARSALS: Rehearsals and Tablework will begin on Tuesday, May 13th.
- We are currently looking at a Tuesday & Wednesday, with occasional Thursday and Saturday rehearsals, but this may change based on actor availability.
- Tech and Production weeks, will likely run Monday to Thursday and Saturday, if required.
- The formal rehearsal schedule will be created around all actor conflicts given at auditions, and not all actors will be called to all rehearsals.
- If you have conflicts, don't count yourself out... we will try to work with predefined conflicts, if at all possible.
I will strive to post regularly with photos and updates on the process, so stay on board!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Let the Good times roll... Here we go.
This will be short and sweet...
We are pleased to introduce the acting company for TWELFTH NIGHT:
Feste Geoff Moss
Orsino Andy Briner
Sebastian Joel Bonsell
Viola Katie Blackburn
Olivia Jacinda Bridger
Malvolio Joseph Ahern
Sir Toby Ryan McCarty
Maria Chelsea Carey
Sir Andrew Adam Hardy
Fabian Katrina Pontius
Antonio Austin Smith
ENSEMBLE - Roles TBD (To include Valentine, Curio, Priest, Officer Lines, Servant Lines)
Susan Fiegl
Juliet Howard-Welch
Lisa Bernheim
Will Hensley
Amy Berry
Director Lisa Howard-Welch
Asst. Director Amy Berry
Music Director/ Coord William Hensley
Fight Director Austin Smith
Stage Manager Sarah Michaelson
The read through will be held at the State Theatre on Tuesday, at 6:30. If you were cast, make sure you review the notification e-mail carefully for important instructions on commitment acceptance, deadlines and costume information.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks as the process begins and all the revelry of the show begins to unfold!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Here we go...
I love auditions.
Always have.
Perhaps its the excitement of the start of something new and creative on the horizon. Or, the idea that the blank canvas of the impending show will soon be filled with the color of new personalities and talent bringing the 400 year old characters to life. Whatever it is, the 'unknowns' will soon become the 'familiars'... the cast will laugh together (I hope), cry together (I hope this, as well), and work closely together for 70+ hours. The end result will be our own tiny piece of heart-filled art.
But, first we have to get through casting. Did I say I love the audition process?
In just a few short hours, we will begin the process of finding 14 actors and actresses to bring to the table... and then to the stage.
It has been over 14 years since I have been a part of a production of Twelfth Night. I have been in the production twice. I have directed it four times... All period productions. But, now, as I step out of my 'period era' comfort zone, I can assure you that this production will be very different.
Want to audition? Just visit the Audition event page on Facebook for more details. Or, come on out to the State Theatre in Springfield, Ohio on Monday, January 20th or Tuesday, January 21. Doors open and registration begins at 6:00pm.
Stay tuned for weekly updates as the weeks progress. So much more is to come.
Always have.
Perhaps its the excitement of the start of something new and creative on the horizon. Or, the idea that the blank canvas of the impending show will soon be filled with the color of new personalities and talent bringing the 400 year old characters to life. Whatever it is, the 'unknowns' will soon become the 'familiars'... the cast will laugh together (I hope), cry together (I hope this, as well), and work closely together for 70+ hours. The end result will be our own tiny piece of heart-filled art.
But, first we have to get through casting. Did I say I love the audition process?
In just a few short hours, we will begin the process of finding 14 actors and actresses to bring to the table... and then to the stage.
It has been over 14 years since I have been a part of a production of Twelfth Night. I have been in the production twice. I have directed it four times... All period productions. But, now, as I step out of my 'period era' comfort zone, I can assure you that this production will be very different.
Want to audition? Just visit the Audition event page on Facebook for more details. Or, come on out to the State Theatre in Springfield, Ohio on Monday, January 20th or Tuesday, January 21. Doors open and registration begins at 6:00pm.
Stay tuned for weekly updates as the weeks progress. So much more is to come.
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